


The Other

by tinkr_tailr



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28066758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinkr_tailr/pseuds/tinkr_tailr
Summary: It's torturous, knowing there's a world where his beloved survived, and that it's not this one...
Relationships: Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 117





	The Other

**Author's Note:**

> First time I've written/posted anything in a long while!
> 
> I'm a bit rusty...

Link had been upstairs in his room for a few hours by the time Zelda sent the others away. Cautiously, she opened the door to see Link on his bed, legs pulled up to his chest, head turned and staring out the window. Zelda sighed and sat down beside him, resting a hand on his ankle to let the other know she was there.

“I get my memories back, and I think that’s all the heartbreak I will ever experience,” Link murmured, eyes still trained outside. “But now I hear that there's a world out there where we won, where I never slept, never lost my memories, never… lost him.” The last part was ground out, though Zelda knew Link was just trying to hold back more tears. “Makes me wish I’d stopped after I got you back. If I didn’t remember, it wouldn’t hurt so bad…”

Zelda sighed. “I know life doesn’t always make sense,” she stopped when Link snorted. “But I’m selfishly glad you remember, you know. I… don’t think I could handle being the only one who remembered them; who misses them.”

Link turned his head to look at her, and for the first time Zelda saw his red and swollen eyes, his wet pink cheeks. She hissed as she reached up to wipe away some of the still-drying tears; it looked painful.

“Why them?” Link asked softly. “Why do they get the happy ending? I just don’t understand.”

Zelda sighed. “I think… maybe… things had to go wrong for us, so it could go right for them. Riju mentioned Terrako was from our timeline, that it saw Ganon awaken here. Those images were what allowed them to prepare to fight, to save hundreds of lives in and around the castle,” as Zelda spoke, she saw Link's eyes soften. “And Teba said that the Champions there had no idea that the four of them were from our future, not theirs. The only reason Terrako was able to summon them is because he is from this world, and in this world the four of them are battle-hardened warriors who have all fought by your side. Who knows what they would be like in that timelines future!”

Link couldn’t help but chuckle as Zelda rambled on.

“They were able to buy enough time for you and I to arrive at the Divine Beasts because they are all warriors who had at least some idea of what they were facing. They wouldn’t be that way if not for things going… wrong… here,” Zelda looked Link in the eye. “We are the reason they got their happy end. And… I know it doesn’t bring any of them back, but… it brings me some sort of comfort to know that at least, in a way, we were able to protect them.”

Link smiled, though it was a soft, bitter thing. “I guess I have to be happy that at least one version of me got to keep him, huh?” he muttered before sighing and looking back out the window. “Just still wish it could have been me…”

Zelda squeezed Link's ankle one more time before standing. She knew Link would need time before he was ready to face any of the others, but he would get there. Eventually.

* * *

Link looked around. The space was empty, a mix of black and white floating and mixing, constantly moving. He was standing, though there was no ground that he could discern in this warped place.

Spinning, he saw his reflection.

Only… no… that wasn’t his reflection, was it?

Eyes that were harder yet more innocent than his own looked back at him.

Oh…

Oh.

This was him.

“So,” Link called, walking towards the other. “Heard you defeated the Calamity the first time around.”

Blue eyes widened as they stared back to him. Link had to chuckle. “Yeah, I talk,” he said, a bitter note to his voice. “Missing one hundred years and losing your memories will do that to a person. Didn’t remember why I didn’t talk, and by the time I did, that reason was no longer there.”

‘You… you’re from Terrako's original timeline, aren’t you?’ the other signed quickly. Link had to admit, getting his memories of Hylian Sign back did prove useful at the oddest times.

“Yup. I failed, though you probably gathered that from the pictures,” Link told the other as he began to circle him. “Zelda had Purah put me in the Shrine of Resurrection. Took a full one hundred years but it did eventually work. Only in exchange for giving me my life, it took all my memories. Woke up on the Great Plateau, met the ghost of the King, and got sent off to do my job.” Link paused for a moment and laughed. “You know that asshole actually had me complete some tasks before me gave me my own paraglider back?” At the others confused looked, he snorted. “Yeah, I apparently lost it before I died. No idea who found it or who gave it to the asshole… but hey, at least I got _something_ of Revali's back.”

The other froze. Yes, that was what he was going for. A cruel smile split Link’s face.

“Oh, that’s right, you don’t know what became of them, do you?” he mocked, watching the others face. So easily moved by emotion, this one was. “Well, should I tell you?”

The other slowly lifted his hands, which now had a fine tremor to them. ‘They… they were trapped within their Divine Beasts, yes?’

Link laughed. “In a way!” he chortled. “You must have noticed how Sidon flinched every time Mipha mentioned seeing him again, how he looked so _tortured_ every time she praised him?” The other nodded, slowly. “Well, they were trapped in their Beasts. Or, at least, their _spirits_ were.”

The other spun to face him even as he flinched away, face distraught as he attempted to sign out a denial.

“That’s right, they’re dead. Every. Single. One. Oh, it was alright for a time,” Link shrugged. “I could still talk to them if after I freed them if I was beside their Beast. The only problem was my memory. See, I was still basically clueless when I freed Zelda and we defeated Ganon.” Link watched gears turn ever so slowly in the others head. “I didn’t even remember that Revali had once tolerated me, let alone that we were in love! His spirit was gone by the time I did remember. Can you imagine that? You wait one hundred years, trapped inside your Beast controlled by the thing that killed you, to see your lover again and low and behold he doesn’t even _fucking remember you_!”

This time, the other managed to gasp out, “I wouldn’t forget him!”

“Oh, but you did,” Link taunted. “And once you did remember it was much too late, he was already gone. Poor, poor little Link, all alone in the world, without a purpose and without a love.”

The other had tortured tears running down his cheeks now. “Why are you doing this?!” he sobbed.

“So that you remember that I lost everything so you could keep it!” Link bellowed out. “I exist! I am not just a dream to be packed away and forgotten! Every moment you spend with him is a _lifetime I live without him_!”

The other fell to his knees, head in his hands as he sobbed.

Finally, Link felt the rage leave him. This boy was not him. He had not lost a lifetime. He still had his friends, his family, his home…

Kneeling down in front of the boy, Link gently wrapped his arms around him. “Love him for both of us, alright?” he asked softly. “Make sure he knows every day that he is adored and cherished. He deserves that and so much more.”

Link felt the boy nod into his shoulder. “It’s sad, you know? I don’t even have his feather to braid into my hair anymore…”

* * *

Link opened his eyes slowly. The dream had been… cathartic. Even if he had traumatized his other self, at least the boy would now know just how lucky he was.

Sitting up and stretching, he knew that today would be an okay day. Not a good one, but not a bad one ei-

He spotted the soft shape on his windowsill.

The color was an unmistakable dark blue, the tip of it looking as if it had been dipped in white.

With shaking hands, he lifted the precious, delicate feather as his breath stuttered in his chest.

Revali's feather.

A sob ripped itself out of his throat as he curled around the tiny thing, holding it to his chest as if it were the meaning of life. At least… at least he had this one small piece of him, until they met once again.

* * *

In another world, a different Link awoke with a start, sweat pooling on his brow and breath harsh. Had that been real? Or just a nightmare conjured by guilt?

A half-hearted complaining groan made him turn his head. Curled up against his side was his beloved Rito, feathered arms holding steady around Link's waist. His breath came out in shaky relief. He wasn’t _there_ , thank the Goddess. And _his_ Revali was still with him.

Gentle hands began to run through the Rito's hair, caressing the back of the others scalp the way Link knew Revali loved. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips as Revali let out a contented sigh and curled even closer. Make sure he knows every day that he is loved and cherished…

Link could do that.

Scooting down in their hammock, Link turned towards Revali and wrapped his own arms around his fluffy bird.

“I love you,” he whispered as sleep dragged him under once more…


End file.
